Validate any XML or cXML document instantly. Paste or upload, get error locations with line and column numbers, inspect structure stats and pretty-print.
Opens the free browser-based tool — no sign-up needed
cXML (Commerce XML) is a protocol used in procurement systems for purchase orders, invoices and catalog exchanges. It is standard XML with a specific document structure — this validator fully supports cXML and auto-detects it when the root element is <cXML>.
A well-formed XML document has matching open/close tags, properly nested elements, exactly one root element, quoted attribute values and correctly escaped special characters. This validator checks all of these and reports the exact line and column of any violation.
What's the difference between XML validation and XML schema validation? Well-formedness validation (what this tool does) checks that the XML syntax itself is correct. Schema validation goes further and checks whether the content matches a specific structure defined by an XSD or DTD — e.g. whether a required field is present. This tool focuses on syntax and structure errors, which are the most common cause of integration failures.
Why does this matter for cXML specifically? cXML documents used in procurement systems like Coupa or SAP Ariba purchase orders and invoices are rejected outright by receiving systems if the XML isn't well-formed, often with unhelpful error messages. Catching structural errors before submission avoids failed integrations and delayed approvals.
What are the most common XML errors this tool catches? The most frequent issues are unclosed or mismatched tags, unescaped special characters like & or < inside text content, multiple root elements, and mismatched namespace prefixes — all of which cause silent failures in many parsers instead of a clear error message.